A Lesson to Remember
by page-write
Summary: After five years away from Hogwarts, the students return for a class reunion. In the Great Hall among his peers, the one thing Justin would keep from the world is revealed to a past love and now his new love is very unhappy. [Warning: slash and violence]


**A Lesson to Remember**

_**Summary: **After five years away from Hogwarts, the students return for a class reunion. In the Great Hall among his peers, the one thing Justin would keep from the world is revealed to a past love and now his new love is very unhappy._

_**Rating: **R for domestic violence_

_**Pairings: **Justin F. /Draco M. and a tiny bit of Harry P. /Ron W._

_**Warning: **The following contains material some readers may find disturbing; Reader discretion is advised. _

**No Spoilers**

**(Note: Italics signify past events)**

* * *

(_Smack_) 

Justin Finch-Fletchly's head flew back with the force of the blow followed by the rest of his body.

They had crossed the threshold to their London flat and the door had gently closed with a click behind Draco before his open hand struck out.

Justin's head throbbed as he desperately fought to still the dizziness of his vision as white sparks flew across his vision. Draco swiftly kicked him in the side and moved to the space in the doorway, folded his arms and watched Justin intently.

Justin lay still on the floor of the entryway, willing his breathing to even out, hoping that Draco would stop before any real damage could be done.

"Why do you insist on your adulterous behavior?" asked Draco in a level tone as he kneeled down beside Justin. The calm in his voice scared Justin more than the violence he had just displayed. It was like standing in the eye of the storm, just waiting for the rest to blow in and topple the weakened world.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX **

_In all his years at Hogwarts he had never even heard of class reunions until he and Draco had received the invitation from the school. They considered it for a week before replying that they would be attending. _

_They spent time together wandering through shops looking for new dress robes a couple days before the reunion. They finally settled on cerulean robes for Draco because they brought out the blue in his gray eyes and a scarlet-purple set that brought out the auburn highlights in Justin's hair. When they returned home they had found an owl waiting for them with information about their portkey that would take them to the Hogwarts grounds._

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

Draco raised his hand and smacked Justin again.

"Tell me why you feel the need to cheat on me?" he demanded, "Am I not good enough for you that you feel you must go gallivanting around with him behind my back! Does it give you that much pleasure to betray me!"

The tone of his voice was beginning to get a bit hysterical. Justin could see the redness of his eyes that signified that he had had too much to drink when he was with his friends.

Inside, Justin's heart sank. Again they were doing this. Draco had steadily become more and more abusive as the years went on and this was becoming somewhat of a steady routine. But no matter how many times Draco hit Justin, the brunette Hufflepuff could never find the will to leave his passionate Slytherin lover. Justin always said to himself that it was the drink that made this happen, not Draco. Justin somehow still believed in his heart that Draco could change. That this would all stop and they could just be happy.

And somehow, Justin always forgave him the next morning when he had slept it off and came back to Justin crying and pleading with him to forgive him. And he always did because there was just something there that Justin loved and wasn't sure he was willing to give up even if it meant that he had to endure a little pain. Love is Pain…isn't that how the saying goes?

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX **

_The Great Hall had been decorated with all the house colors and the Weird Sisters were playing on a dais where the teachers' table normally was. Drinks and food were served on a buffet table against the left hand wall. _

_Justin had been letting his wavy hair grow out and his bangs hung down long enough to push back behind his ears. The rest of it hit about halfway down his neck. That night he straightened it and let it hang loose with an off center part. His bangs lay diagonally across his most recent bruise that rested on the left corner of his forehead at the hairline. An oversimplified freezing spell made the hair stay in place with very little fuss. Draco on the other hand had cut his hair from a length almost even to Justin's to a slightly shaggy boy cut. Justin had talked him out of the heinous amounts of gel that normally covered his hair and substituted with a light spritz of hairspray. They were both dashing (if I do say so myself). _

_Justin smiled the second he stepped in with Draco at his side. The five years they had spent away from the school seemed like an eternity suddenly. It was all so familiar and felt like home. It gave the feeling of a parent's home when you returned for a visit and memories made themselves known. He squeezed Draco's hand and led him out to dance. He smiled as his friends exulted his entrance onto the dance floor. Immediately Draco's dominant personality took over and he switched from being led to leading Justin. They swept across the floor together and Justin smiled even more. _

_Justin couldn't remember being so happy before Draco. His past love had made him happy but the war had drained them both until their relationship toppled and now with Draco he felt a sense of completeness that Ron had only made him feel in the beginning and he now was very much willing to forget Draco's flaws. The song changed and Draco pulled Justin closer. Justin adjusted his arms and slid them into Draco's robes. He felt the silk of his shirt and the hard Quidditch toned muscles underneath. Justin watched Draco and saw him smile at the soft touch. It was just a happy smile, nothing more._

_The doors to the Great Hall opened again and there was a fabulous noise made by the returned students. Justin tore his gaze away from Draco's to see who merited such a high-spirited welcome. None other than Harry Potter, the Savior of the wizarding world, stood in the doorway dressed in his usual emerald green dress robes. Beside him stood the rest of the Golden Trio, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. Even though it was Justin who had left him, Ron could still manage to lodge a lump in Justin's throat without doing anything at all. "You would think that with all the money that Potter has he would get some new dress robes in a different color", said a snide voice in his ear. Justin looked Harry up and down and saw how he had finally filled out. At graduation the black haired boy had still been skinny and lanky._

_But it wasn't his attractiveness that struck Justin the most. It was his hand placement. Harry's tan hand was holding tightly to Ron's creamy freckled one. The sight touched a nerve and a line of possessiveness ran through him. Albeit it had been over a year since he had even seen Ron and almost three and a half years since they had been together but it was evident that the feelings Justin had truly hadn't diminished as he had thought. Justin shook his head free of the immediate thoughts of Ron and turned his attention back to Draco. "Yes one would think he would", he replied to Draco's comment, smiling. Suddenly Draco's eyes seemed colder than they had been a moment before. A warning bell suddenly rang through Justin like the instincts of a small animal against a predator. He stilled for a second before pushing the feeling away and pressing closer to Draco's warmth. _

_Their feet had stilled when the Golden Trio had come in and Draco nudged Justin's foot with his, urging him to move. The song changed to something much slower and the Weird Sisters voices filled the hall with a mourning love song. _

"_What are you thinking about?" _

_The question was sudden out of the silence between them and caught Justin slightly off guard. It just wasn't expected. _

"_Nothing". The word came out slowly. _

"_Nothing? Are you sure?" _

_Justin looked at Draco with a quizzical expression spread across his soft features. "I'm positive"._

_His brow furrowed and he moved his hands to rest lightly on Draco's waist. Draco's eyes softened with the movement, "Only fools are positive". _

_Justin smiled, "Well then mark me a fool because I'm positive". _

_Draco continued the inquiry, "Positive of what?" Justin's eyes flickered as he took a second to think of his answer,_

"_I'm positive that I love you". _

"_Yes, you are a fool Justin", said Draco playfully. _

_Justin's eyes hardened at the comment in time to the hardening in other places as Draco closed what little distance there was between them. "But I think…" Before Draco could finish the sentence Justin silenced him with a pale finger pressed to his lips. _

"_Just shut up and dance with me". _

_Draco looked at Justin with cold gray eyes but obliged silently and they started into the rocking steps of their dance. _

_Someone had once said that dancing was a prelude to sex and at that moment Justin knew why. Their bodies were pressed as close together as they could get without melding into one another as they swayed together to the music and the heat rose between them. _

_The dance melted away any upset between Justin and Draco that had been brewing. Justin was just beginning to wonder if he could ask Draco if they could cut their night out short and go on to other activities when loud, rough voices rang out across the hall._

"_Malfoy! Hey Malfoy! MALFOY! Come over here!"_

_Justin closed his eyes and leaned his head forward to rest his forehead against Draco's shoulder, letting out a sigh as he did it. Draco recognized the slight sign of defeat and held Justin closer before he stopped dancing and tore himself from his arms. "I'm going to go over to them for awhile. You can come if you'd like or you can find your old friends", he said neutrally, already knowing the answer. _

_Justin looked over at the rowdy group of Slytherins. The men were all standing around in a group looking somehow a cross between rough and refined. Their women stood pressed against them in a promiscuous fashion, leering at one another, reminding Justin rather strongly of women of ill repute one could only find in Knockturn Alley. "Uh…I'd rather not. They don't like me much anyway", he said with a particular Christmas party in mind that had involved a lot of alcohol and jeering at the only Hufflepuff in their midst. _

"_Oh they like you just fine", replied Draco, knowing that Justin wouldn't come anyway. It was a house rivalry thing that just carried into adult life. Justin raised an eyebrow at Draco, hearing the 'you're right but I just won't admit it' in the words that he said._

"_You're such a liar. Tell me something I'll believe". _

"_Then believe this", said Draco softly before kissing him lovingly on the lips, making him weak in the knees. Justin broke apart with a slight gasp,_

" _Tell me something I don't know," he breathed before kissing Draco again hungrily.  
_

_Justin heard a few people 'awww' behind them. " Malfoy, are you done yet?" called one of the Slytherins. Draco's lips stilled against Justin's and his eyes opened to peer at him in realization of how public they were at that second. Justin followed suite and reluctantly opened his eyes. Taking a step back from Draco he said," Well I guess you'd better go now". Draco gave an apologetic grin and took Justin's hand and placed a soft kiss on it before he turned to join his Slytherin comrades. _

_Justin wanted nothing more than to say," screw you guys", to Draco's friends and steal him away back to their portkey and back home to their flat. This would not bode well with the Slytherins so he knew it was out of the question. Finally he walked over to where the Hufflepuffs were. Quickly his cloudy feelings drifted away with his friends' smiles and laughter. _

"…_And the woman looks up with her hands covered in the red paint and says, 'well don't look at me I didn't do it!" finished Ernie Macmillan. The whole group doubled over in laughter. "Oh, Oh…I need a breather. I'm going to get something to drink. I'll be back", said Justin clutching at the stitch in his side. He broke apart from his friends and headed over to the buffet table and picked up a glass. He tapped a bottle of rum and a jug of pumpkin juice with his wand. Together they floated up in the air and mixed into the glass. Charming the glass to follow him Justin made his way to one of the many tables that stood opposite the cleared portion of the Great Hall that served as a dance floor. The table linens were the house colors and Justin selected a table with a canary yellow tablecloth. _

_Settling down into a chair he sipped at his rum and pumpkin juice. His gaze drifted around the room watching his laughing friends and Draco with his group of Slytherins. He sat by himself with his drink for a long time just listening to the music and desperately trying to catch Draco's eye without attracting the attention of the other Slytherins._

"_Do you want to tell me why you're sitting here alone and by the look of it trying to get a little shit faced?" _

_The voice came from behind Justin in that smooth, deep and slightly husky tone that belonged only Ron Weasley. Justin, sat startled, fumbled for the words before giving up with a shrug and a slight blush that he hoped beyond hope that Ron didn't see. _

"_A man of many words tonight I see", said Ron as he took a seat next to Justin. "So do I get an explanation for the alcohol?" he asked with a playful edge to his voice. _

"_Maybe", Justin replied, "What's it worth to ya?" _

_Ron was thoughtful for a moment, "An answer for an answer. You answer my question and I'll answer one of yours". _

_Justin took less than a seconds to think about it but didn't want to come on as over eager. A few moments passed before his said,"Alright. Deal" and sipped some more of his drink. Ron gestured for him to continue with his answer. Justin saw but pretended not to notice. Drawing out Ron's anticipation was half the fun of conversations, and other activities, with him. Ron waved his hands in a rotating gesture, motioning for Justin to continue on. Justin flashed a smile at Ron's gesture and settled deeper into his chair. _

"_So…?" said Ron impatiently. _

_Justin's smile grew wider. Ron set himself up every time. _

"_So…what was the question?" he asked with pretend innocence._

"_What are you sitting here all alone with…" he leaned across the table and snatched up Justin's glass from him to sniff at it, "pumpkin juice and rum?" _

_He leaned back with the glass in hand and his gazed stayed on Justin as he took a long drink. The glass made a little tinkling as he set it back down in front of Justin licking his lips. _

_Justin followed the movement with his eyes and felt his body react to the small noises the liquid made going down Ron's throat. He smiled at Ron with a hint of lust. His body was screaming seduction and there was a sharp realization that he wanted Ron very badly. The realization jolted his body and he stilled any further provocation. He leaned forward to fiddle with this glass and avoided Ron's eyes. _

"_Repercussions. There will be horrible repercussions if this goes any further", the logical side of his mind suddenly whispered. _

_Justin knew what that meant and his eyes flicked over to where Draco stood with his Slytherins. Their eyes connected for a short second and that tremor of warning sang through him again before Draco turned his attention back to his friends. Ron followed Justin's gaze and softly murmured,"You still haven't answered my question yet". The lusty tension that had been growing between them was suddenly shut off as if a switch had been thrown. _

"_I'm here because Draco went with his friends, who I don't really care for, and I honestly have gotten so used to the Slytherin and Gryffindor personalities that my friends were beginning to seem just a tad inane." He took another sip of his drink and smiled, "and as for the alcohol…life has always been a bit more fun with a little double vision". _

_Ron laughed a full laugh, full of fun and potential. And the switch was thrown on again, as it were, with that full throaty laugh. Justin took another sip of his drink and offered some to Ron, who gladly accepted._

"_So I guess it's about time you answered a question of mine", said Justin nonchalantly. _

_Ron choked and coughed a bit on the rum and pumpkin juice before his set down the glass carefully and looked at Justin almost guiltily. _

"_I had been hoping you'd forget that part", he said. _

_Justin shook his head, "I'm never one to forget a deal", he said, "you of all people should know that". _

_There was a certain satisfaction in seeing Ron's face turn bright pink at the memory of a few of their escapades together. _

_Ron swallowed thickly and tried to compose himself. There was absolute delight in the smile that Justin wore. _

"_So…erm…" started Ron, "what's the…ah…question…you ah…wanted to ask?"_

_A slight smirk flit across Justin's face; an expression that often crossed Draco's face. Ron's brow furrowed with a bit of fear. A look like that on anyone's face can never be a good thing. As quickly as it had come the smirk melted away to leave Justin just as he had been. _

"_My question…you were holding the hand of a very handsome looking Mister Potter. Is there something going on behind closed doors?" _

_Ron's face paled as he fumbled a little with his words. "Well…you see…it's like…um…" _

_Justin was ready to outright laugh. A few years ago their places were very much switched and it was Justin who fumbled with his words and Ron was always so full of confidence that was ready to laugh. Being with Draco had taught Justin to have more confidence in every aspect of his life and in so doing he slowly became a more articulate person. Words came easier especially under pressure, something that was highly unusual when he had been a boy at Hogwarts._

"_Well it was supposed to be a secret! Don't laugh at me!" said Ron. The look on his face was priceless and Justin could help it as he burst out laughing. _

"_I'm…not…laughing…at…you", he gasped out between chuckles._

"_Well you certainly aren't laughing with me", Ron pouted._

_A fresh peal of laughter poured from Justin and Ron pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes before finally smiling. _

"_Look how much we've changed…like we're whole different people…almost. Back in school normally it was me laughing at you", said Ron. Justin's laughter died at the new solemn note in Ron's voice. Silence stretched out between the old lovers before finally Justin spoke. _

"_You still haven't answered my question Ron", murmured Justin._

_Ron looked at Justin almost sheepishly._

"_Well actually…" Ron started, "Harry and I have just recently started seeing each other"._

_Justin smiled and let out a little mock gasp. "What do you mean that Harry Potter isn't straight?" He played lightly._

_As the press had it he was either quite the scoundrel with prospective lovers or he was destined to become a monk. Depending on which magazine you happened to pick up, of course. Ron's face grew serious again._

"_Don't joke about it Justin. Harry really wants to keep it under wraps. The press would have a field day with such a tidbit." _

_Justin nodded solemnly, " I understand, Honestly I feel sorry for the bloke. I mean I know I would have blown up a reporter or two, the way they follow him around like harpies". _

_Ron nodded and smiled, "That's just like you Justin…always understanding"._

_The silence grew between them again as the song changed and a comfortable friendly companionship eased between them. _

_Ron looked away at the people congregating in the Great Hall. "I'm sorry I wasn't always there for you Justin". _

_Justin opened his mouth to negate the statement but Ron silenced him with a raised hand. _

"_I wasn't there for you when you needed me but you never failed to be there for me when I needed you. Voldemort and the Final Battle and helping Harry are not good enough excuses for abandoning you emotionally. You were there for me and I should have been there for you". Ron looked back at Justin with pleading eyes. His voice begged for forgiveness that Justin wasn't sure was necessary. _

"_Forgive me", he whispered pleadingly to Justin. _

_Justin looked down into his now empty glass. Thoughts swirled around in his mind but the words to tell Ron just didn't want to come forward. Any other time and the right thing to say would just tumble from his lips with no thought to the rhyme or reason, but this night the emotions were just a little too high. For a moment Justin couldn't think straight. His word was swirling and his head was beginning to throb. _

_Finally Justin knew that waiting any longer to answer would make the whole situation so much more awkward and send the tension through the roof. He sighed and turned to face Ron. He looked at him long and hard. The drawn and worn appearance that had grown on the man during the war before they had separated was slowly dissipating but the sparkle in his eyes was still slightly dull. _

"_I can't tell you that it's all alright and that none of it is your fault, although that is what I most want to say so that the heart wrenching expression on your face will disappear." started Justin," But that's not what will fix the wounds etched there". Ron's face fell slightly but Justin just continued on. "Sometimes you made me feel like I wasn't good enough to help you in the war when we were together, but I did come to realize that you did what you did to protect me and I thank you for that. But that's not what either of us needed then". Ron started to say something at this point in response but Justin wouldn't let him. He had the nerve only now to tell him what needed to be said and he refused to be deterred now. "Ron. I need you to forgive me. Forgive me for being selfish because if I hadn't been so damned self absorbed I would have been able to see these things earlier and maybe things might have turned out better. Not in the angry way that it did. But I need you to forgive me Ron, before I can fulfill your request for forgiveness. I need us to be even, come end of the evening". _

_Ron just sat there and stared at Justin. The thought that Justin had been selfish just seemed ludicrous to him. Justin would always be perfect to him in every way. Ron's gaze deepened as he looked at the brunette boy before him. His face had matured since he had last seen him and it struck Ron as odd to see a faint pained look in his eyes. He sighed before lightly as he reached out to touch the soft hair lying across Justin's forehead saying, " I'm not exactly sure as to the reasoning, but I forgive-"_

_Ron's voice stopped abruptly as his fingers stroked the hair from Justin's face. The movement shifted the hair just enough to reveal a tiny hint of the purplish bruise that had spread across the left side of Justin's forehead and touched down to his left cheek bone. Ron's eyes narrowed as the seed of suspicion was planted in his mind. Before Justin could react, Ron brushed the hair that had been covering Justin's bruise aside even as the freezing spell struggled to return the hair to its previous position. Just as Justin jerked away Ron grabbed his Humerus bone where a hidden bruise and tender bone had lain in waiting. Justin suppressed a strangled cry as pain flared up his arm. _

_Suspicions growing; Ron's eyes glittered with anger that could have curdled milk in an instant. _

"_Malfoy's handiwork?" he demanded in a slight growling tone._

"_Ron, it's not like that. He didn't do it on-", Justin started before Ron cut him off._

"_Don't lie to me Justin!" he cried out as he stood up, "I saw you with him on the dance floor and I know you two are together! Don't even try to defend him!"_

"_Ron, please don't make a scene", said Justin pleadingly with head bowed and eyes on the table, silently thanking the Creator that the Weird Sisters had chosen a loud and raucous song to sing at that particular moment. He reached out to touch the red haired man but Ron jerked away. _

_In one simple sentence Justin had inadvertently divulged his secret to another soul and confirmed every suspicion growing in Ron's mind about exactly where those bruises had come from. _

"_How can you even begin to defend him, Justin? He's **beating** you for Christ's sakes!" _

_Justin looked up at him with angry eyes before he stood. _

"_Because I love him," he said simply before walking quickly out of the Great Hall. _

_Ron stood there dumbfounded as he watched the brunette Hufflepuff leave the hall. He was at a loss for words as guilt suddenly washed over him._

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

"I saw you come back into the Great Hall after you left with him. Did you think I wasn't watching!" Draco cried out through partially clenched teeth as he raised his hand again.

The smaller man was his stomach on the floor quivering slightly as Draco struck him again. A red mark was spreading nicely against his pale skin where Draco's hand had first connected with Justin's face.

Draco leaned in close to Justin's face and whispered in his ear, "You deserve this you know. You should never have been unfaithful to me". Justin grimaced as the smell of alcohol on Draco's breath hit him in the face.

Before the thought of how rancid the smell of alcohol truly was had left Justin's thought process, Draco struck him again, hard on the ribs. Slightly unsteadily, Draco stood beside his fallen lover and looked down on him in distaste. A black Italian leather boot shot out and struck him in the side also resulting in a sharp snapping noise from Justin's ribs.

From the floor, Justin grunted with the pain as his eyes began to water uncontrollably.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX **

_While all this was occurring between Ron and Justin, Draco had been watching their exchange as he called for more drinks to be had by his friends and him. He steadily consumed more as he watched the youngest Weasley boy follow Justin from the room._

_In the Entrance Hall, Justin sat on the bottom steps of the staircase with his face in his hands. Silently, Ron approached and saw the tears leaking from between his fingers._

_Before Ron had the chance to say anything, Justin looked up at him with a tear-streaked face._

"_You don't think that I don't know that it's wrong? You think I don't know?" Justin's eyes welled up again as he dropped his face back into his hands._

"_I know better than anyone", he whispered before he broke down and sobbed. _

_Ron was dumbfounded. He had expected a shouting match in the Entrance Hall when he had followed Justin out but was slightly flabbergasted when the other man broke down and sobbed on the steps. _

_Ron could think of nothing to do but try and comfort Justin. Tentatively he approached and quickly wrapped his arms around the shoulders of the rapidly disintegrating boy. Justin started to push away from Ron but the other man refused to let him go. Panic screamed through Justin as he struggled to get away through his tears. Ron struggled to hold him as he fought to get away. _

_As quickly as the struggle had started, it ended as Justin's resolve crumbled and he gave into the embrace. Sobbing he clutched at Ron's dress robes for solace. Ron gently rocked him back and forth while he murmured comforting words. _

"_Let me help you", he said._

**XxXxXxXxXxXxXxX**

"Oh let me help you up, love", said Draco as he reached down and took a handful of Justin's dark tresses. He forcefully yanked Justin's head up about a foot off the floor before he crashed his face back down onto the wooden surface. A sickening crunch sounded as Justin's nose caved under the force of the blow. Blood streamed down his face and leaked onto the floor.

Justin was openly sobbing as Draco's hold tightened on his hair. He let out a whimper as Draco lifted the man from the floor by his hair alone.

"There you go, up on you're feet. We don't want you making any more of a mess on our nice wooden floors than you already have, now do we?"

Justin tried to wipe his tear and blood stained face as he sullenly shook his head 'no'. "Good", sneered Draco, "Now you just run along and get a towel so you can clean this mess up". His hand fell from Justin's head, releasing him.

Justin wobbled on his feet just waiting for another blow to land. _Please, _he prayed, _let this be over._ Carefully he stepped away towards the linen closet between the bedroom and the loo. He could feel Draco's gaze boring into him as he turned the knob and slowly opened the door to the linen closet. He ran his fingers over the soft materials of the linens and towels like a secretary would search for a file. Finally he stopped at a stack of old ragged towels and hurried to select one.

Clutching the towel to his chest he took a step back and closed the closet door. Careful to keep his eyes trained on the floor, he walked back to where Draco stood beside the puddle of blood.

"Hurry pet, we don't want the blood to coagulate and stain the floor"

Draco moved away from the puddle with a horrible sneer on his face to give Justin more maneuvering space clean with. Justin trembled as he dropped to his knees in front of the spot. In his eye line he could see the pair of boots that had wickedly broken a couple of his ribs. As he mopped up the blood he kept a close watch as best he could on those boots, fearing that they would lash out again.

At long last the blood was gone from the floor and Justin tentatively climbed to his feet, avoiding Draco's eyes.

"What's wrong pet?" hissed Draco, "You look _guilty_"

A pale hand reach out and snatched the dirtied towel from Justin's hands. Justin's head snapped up as he heard the squelching splat of the towel as it collided with the far wall where Draco had thrown it. He looked up at Draco just in time to see a fist flying for his face. Knuckles collided with the hollow of Justin's cheek, sending him reeling to the floor.

Draco dropped down to squat beside Justin and whispered,

"Now I'm going to teach you once and for all what happens when you play around with the Weasel behind my back"

He wrapped a hand around Justin's neck and drug him into the sitting room.

**XxXxXxXxXxXxX**

_Ron continued to rock Justin as the tears subsided. Hiccupping, Justin unfurled himself from Ron's grasp and gingerly found a comfortable spot on the hard marble staircase. He ran a hand through his hair and straightened his bangs back to how they had been. The silence stretched out between them before Justin spoke. _

_"Thank you, Ron", he said softly._

_Without giving Ron time to say anything else he stood, straightened his robes and turned to go back into the Great Hall. He took all of one step before he felt a hand grasp his robes, stopping him. He turned to look back at Ron, who still held onto him._

_Ron looked up at him from the step he still occupied with a strange look on his face. "Promise me…" he started but seemed to think better of the words. With a sigh he reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. He released Justin to retrieve his wand from an inner breast pocket. Quickly he tapped the card three times and watched as it went blank. He handed the card to Justin. "Take this", he said, "Just in case, alright?" Justin looked down at the card in his hand just in time to see the last letter of the word 'help' scrawl out across the front of the card in a Ron's messy hand writing. He felt the spell on the card that made it what it was; a port key. He looked up at Ron and smiled sadly._

_"Thank you, Ron"_

**XxXxXxXxXxXxX**

Fists were flying at Justin faster than he could see. He couldn't roll away because they seemed to be coming from all sides. Tears leaked down his cheeks as he felt the hands hurting him. "_Please_", he whimpered, "_stop_". Draco ignored his strangled please for mercy and continued on his _lesson_.

Finally the blows stopped but only for a moment as Justin felt a hand in his hair once again. The hand tightened and lifted Justin to his feet before throwing him against a wall. Draco had his wand out and muttered a spell. Justin's hands were suddenly even with his head, forcing his arms into ninety degree angles and tied to the wall by invisible bonds. His clothes were gone with the exception of his underwear and now he felt more helpless than ever before.

He felt utterly defeated.

Draco approached Justin and it was too late when Justin realized that he no longer held his wand in his hand. Long lines of blood began to well up as Draco ferociously sliced his skin. The viscous liquid poured down his body and puddled around his feet.

Tears mingled with the blood as Justin felt the wounds burn in the open air. There was nothing he could do but wait for the assault to stop or fall into welcomed unconsciousness.

There was a pause in the carving of his body and he reluctantly glanced down at his battered body. Long cuts ranging in size from an inch to eight inches long decorated his purpling skin. Bruises continued to well up where he had been struck and there was an odd lumping on his left side where his ribs had broken.

His eyes blurred with tears as the sight of the carnage made the torture that much worse. He glanced up at Draco and instantly regretted it. Draco stood there with his wand and was delicately heating the knife to a white-hot glow. Draco looked up at Justin and smiled softly, almost lovingly, before he dropped his wand and swiped at Justin's torso again. The heat cauterized the new wounds instantly as he cut into him again and again. His assault roamed away from Justin's torso as he attacked his exposed arms and legs. The scores welted up and burned with long white lines of heat.

Before long, the long silver knife Draco had been using dropped to the floor with a strange metallic clatter. Justin tilted his eyes up to look at Draco. His gray eyes were still bloodshot and he wore a sadistic grin like there was nothing he would rather be doing than here mutilating Justin's body. He approached Justin and pressed his body against him in full, like they had done so many times before in the heat of passion. Justin let out a hiss of pain as Draco's now bloodied dress robes dug into his fresh wounds.

Justin bit down into his bottom lip to keep from crying out as Draco began to grind his body against his. Tears poured unchecked as his body screamed in pain. Draco was breathing harshly in his ear and it took a moment for Justin to realize that he was running his hands over Justin's body. He felt a hard pressure pushing against his lower stomach and he was shocked and disgusted to realize that Draco was actually getting _excited_ from this. Justin was standing there, literally crying in pain and Draco was getting off on it.

"_Sweet Merlin, please, let it stop_" he prayed

The movements Draco was making against Justin's body were progressively getting harsher. One particularly rough thrust against him wrenched a strangled cry from Justin's throat.

Justin's cry awoke something in Draco and his motions stilled. He didn't move away but instead just stood there against him trembling. It was as if he was containing himself while he fought a mental battle with himself. Justin's legs were ready to give out on him. Unable to catch himself, he slumped forward into Draco with his weight held solely by the magicked bonds that held him to the wall.

His movement awoke Draco from the stillness he had slipped into. His gray eyes were once again lit by that sadistic glint as he ran his hands up Justin's body to his face. The bruises there were tender but that didn't stop Draco from grabbing his face harshly and turning it to the left and to the right so that he could examine his disfigured countenance.

"I love the smell of fresh blood in the evening", he said maniacally before he licked the side of Justin's face from chin to forehead. He laid a short kiss on a deep purple bruise on Justin's right temple just below a cut on his hairline that was profusely bleeding. He looked Justin full in the face with his lips covered in the blood seeping from the wound on Justin's head and smiled.

Justin fought the urge to shudder. What had happened to his caring lover? Where had that sweet man gone? Never before had Draco acted this horrible. Never before had he left Justin wondering where his Draco had gone, leaving him with this twisted sadist. The overhead light above cast a glow around Draco, framing him like a halo around an angel. But the blood shattered the illusion, leaving nothing but the twisted mockery of a cherub. Revulsion won over Justin and he gave over to his urge to show his disgust.

It was quite plainly written all over his face.

The blood stained smile Draco wore spread across his face and quickly turned to a sneer.

"It's become apparent to me, pet, that you just aren't enjoying yourself", said Draco as he wrapped his arms around the wounded man. Justin let out a whimper of pain as Draco's grasp tightened around his bare chest. "Good", murmured Draco, the smile faded from his lips, "I hope you've learned your lesson. You should know by now that you belong to me and I will tolerate no other mode. You best remember this lesson, Justin" His voice was hard as he put special emphasis in his last words.

Draco moved his arms to a more cradling position around Justin and smiled again. "Now let's see about having you enjoy yourself, pet. Should we move to the floor or has the wall become more preferable to you? Your choice, pet". Draco looked at Justin expectantly. A few moments passed and the smile started to fade around the edges and Draco's eyes hardened again.

"Well?" he demanded.

Justin slumped down further into his arms and replied in the barest of whispers,

"_No_".

Draco blinked at him, "No?"

"_No_ ", whispered Justin again, only slightly louder.

Unwilling to stop playing his game, Draco relented a tiny bit and did not acknowledge the blatant refusal. "Well pet, if you can not decide, than I'll choose for you…the floor it is then".

He flung out a pale hand to catch his wand as he summoned it from the floor where he had dropped it. He flicked it casually towards Justin's hands and the bonds released Justin's limp form. Draco held him in his arms comfortingly for a moment before unceremoniously tossing him to the floor causing Justin to grunt as he hit the solid floor on his severely injured front. Draco slowly divested himself of his clothing before speaking again,

"Now pet, let's play shall we?"

Justin's eyes widened as he felt rough hands on him again. They turned him over and trailed over his skin and stopped every once in a while to pay homage to his wounds by sinking fingers into his flesh. Justin wriggled away from the hands and whimpered, "Please don't do this Draco". A short cold laugh was all the response he got.

The hands continued on their journey before dipping cruelly into a particularly deep slash. Draco twisted his fingers and started to lift the skin away from Justin's body. Justin let out a guttural pain filled cry and scrambled to get away from his attacker. Each movement set his body on fire as he tried to flee.

Two seconds he was free, three at the most.

Draco was thrown for a bit at Justin's sudden movement but he quickly got over his shock. In an instant he launched himself at Justin's fleeing form. He landed squarely on the back of his quarry. Justin let out a piercing scream and began to thrash about, trying desperately trying to get away.

"No! No! No!" he shrieked as Draco shredded his last remaining bit of clothing from his body.

Still Draco paid no heed to Justin's cries as his excitement of the chase flood to his loins. He held Justin's flailing arms down and unmercifully he cleaved apart Justin's hind end. He let out a long hiss as he sank home into Justin's body. Quickly he became moving again, giving no time for Justin to adjust his unprepared body to the intrusion.

Justin was openly crying onto the floor as Draco thrust harshly into him again and again. More blood trickled down his thighs to mingle with the already drying blood on his body. His body was as completely on fire as it could be without true flames. "Please", he cried to Draco, "Please stop". The thrusting was becoming more erratic and jarring; forcing whimpers of pain from Justin's lips. And the pain just kept on coming.

A hand snaked away from Justin's wrists and slid down to slide under his belly. Unable to move away or prevent the assault on his body, Justin could only lay there as he felt a hand clamp onto his manhood and give a few quick strokes. He willed his body to stay flaccid.

"I don't want this!" he cried out into the wood floor.

Draco either didn't hear his outcry or chose to ignore it as he continued to coax Justin's erection to the brink of explosion. Justin did his best to will away the pleasure gathering in his groin. He didn't want this.

The pace on Justin's member increased and Justin could feel the hot breath of Draco on his neck as the pace in his rear increased still more. "Come for me", growled Draco in his ear before he bit down hard onto Justin's exposed neck.

Justin could only give himself over to the forced pleasure as Draco came roaring into his body. The orgasm hit Justin like anther blow to the stomach as he spilled his seed into Draco's hand and collapsed in exhaustion to sink into the welcoming arms of unconsciousness.

**XxXxXxX **

Morning broke in through the open curtains and bathed Justin in a spill of warm sunlight. It felt good and Justin was reluctant to open his eyes. A stinging pain jarred him completely awake and his eyes flew open to be blinded by the brightness of the morning. He shut them tightly as the entirety of the previous night's events flooded his mind with the scream of pain that ran through him as his tender wounds were touched. His body ached and he dreaded moving for fear of jarring his injuries when it occurred to him that a pair of hands was delicately applying a thick salve to his wounds.

"Don't try to move, love", murmured Draco just as Justin shifted away from the hands. Tentatively Justin cracked open an eye to see Draco bent over him, diligently working to heal him. Shaggy bangs fell across Draco's face, hiding his eyes from Justin but he must have seen the squinting as he raised his wand. Justin flinched away but to his relief the wand only casually flicked towards the curtains. The curtains slid closed, hiding Justin from the bright sunlight.

"I'll be right back love, don't move yet".

There was a rustle and footsteps as Draco padded away. Justin opened his eyes again to survey his body. Bandages were wrapped around his wounds and a particularly large set was wound around his chest where his ribs had been re-set. Swelling from the bruises was down significantly but there was still a noticeable purple hue to his skin. The blood was gone, at least. He couldn't run from the ache that overran his body and he let out a terrible moan as tears sprang to his eyes. Seeing the aftermath made it feel that much worse.

Justin could hear Draco moving around in the kitchen and he assumed he was fixing breakfast or possibly a potion. As silently as he could he struggled to sit up and then cast his eyes around to find his clothing. He had to find his dress robes. "Please let them be here", he murmured. His muscles were on fire and his backside was particularly sore.

He let out a sigh of relief as he spied his robes in a neatly folded pile sitting on the end table beside the couch. Slowly he carefully rose up onto his hands and knees and began to crawl to the couch. Painful minutes passed as Justin made slow progress across the room.

He could still hear Draco's movement in the kitchen as he finally reached the couch and hauled himself on it. Silently he leaned over and seized his robes and began to rummage through them, looking desperately for Ron's help card.

"Okay, love, I've got a potion here that I need you to drink, it's going to taste awful so I made you some tea to…"

Draco stopped talking as he entered the room and saw Justin gone from the floor. His eyes swiveled to find Justin fanatically rifling in his robes. "What are you…?" he started but stopped as Justin pushed the robes away and triumphantly raised his fist, clutching a small bit of paper. "Justin?" Draco started again.

Justin looked up at him sadly and said quite plainly, "Draco I can't be here. I'm leaving". He jumped as Draco dropped the tray he had been carrying and his face turned red in anger. Justin very nearly screamed as Draco rushed at him, grasping for the card Justin held.

Justin did let out a scream as his escape was yanked from his grasp. "No!" he cried out. Draco's face twisted in rage as he looked at the card, "What is this then Justin? Who's writing is this? Where did you get it!" he shouted. Justin began to panic as adrenaline flooded his system. He could think of only one thing; he needed that card.

Ignoring the screaming pain of his body, Justin threw himself on Draco, wildly striking him in his desperate bid for the card. To his utter dismay, Draco easily fought him off and wrapped a strong hand around his thin neck. Justin gasped for air and clawed at the hand that held him while Draco examined the card more thoroughly. "It's a port key, isn't it pet? Who wrote 'help' on it?" Draco looked intently at Justin as if waiting for an answer that Justin could give, for lack of air. "Do you need help, pet?" said Draco as his gripped tightened just a bit more, "Here, I'll help you".

The hand tightened as much as it could around Justin's neck before Draco dropped the card to add his other hand. Justin's eyes tracked the card's descent to the floor and in a last desperate bid for life he began to thrash against Draco. He put everything he had left into fending off his deranged lover. Draco tightened his hold on Justin but didn't seem to be deterred in the slightest by Justin's weak blows. It wasn't until Justin's leg connected with Draco's crotch that he finally loosened up. Draco fully released Justin to bring his hands to his crotch and doubled over in pain.

With adrenaline coursing through him, Justin dove for the card and scrambled away from Draco. Justin frantically searched for his wand before he realized it was still lying on the table beside the couch where his robes had bee. He decided to forgo his wand and ran for the kitchen in hopes of finding Draco's.

The harsh overhead light in the kitchen blinded him for a second before he could look for the wand. The counters were a mess of bandages and potion ingredients. Among the rubble Justin spied a short sliver of wood protruding from beneath a pile of unused bandages. Quickly he crossed the room to retrieve it and just as his fingers closed around the smooth wand the door to the kitchen swung open to reveal a harshly breathing Draco.

"It's become obvious to me, pet, that you are in need of another lesson in obedience" he growled. Justin fought the urge to cower and gripped Draco's wand tightly in his hand. "Not this time Draco", said Justin in a shaky voice, "This time you'll let me go and I won't be coming back". He raised the wand to prove that he wasn't going to submit to Draco's domineering behavior.

Draco looked at Justin and simply sneered, "You didn't think that I was stupid enough to come in here unarmed, did you?" He reached into his back pocket and pulled out Justin's wand. Justin's eyes widened but he said nothing.

"Now, you're going to put that down on the counter behind you and we are going into the sitting room where you are going to sit down while I give you a potion and tea. I'm going to administer to your remaining wounds and then you are going to learn yet another lesson. Am I clear?"

Justin just stared at Draco in vague incomprehension. Had he really become so weak as to be perceived as a submissive little dog? Well no longer would that be. Justin was going to leave if it killed him.

"No Draco. I am leaving", Justin said as he fingered the card in his left hand. Draco's face grew calm and blank right before his grip tightened on his wand. Justin saw this in almost the same instant that Draco spoke his curse.

"Imperio!"

That instant was all Justin needed to retaliate.

"Stupefy!"

The spells crashed into one another between the two men and nullified each other. Draco blinked in surprise as Justin took a breath to refocused and let fly another stunning spell. A fiery red flash of light lit the room as Justin's spell hit Draco square on. The surprise written on his face would have been comical if it hadn't been for the circumstances.

Draco dropped down on the floor. Justin took a step backward into the counter and slid down to the floor staring at the fallen blonde. There was a roaring in his ears that he recognized finally as his own rapid breathing. Carefully he leaned forward and put his forehead to the floor and concentrated on evening out his breathing. Shaking slightly he counted to sixty before sitting up again. Unsteadily he stood and walked from the room.

Ten minutes later Justin had a large duffle bag packed with most of his clothes and things and was standing at the door to the flat. He cast a sidelong glance down the hall where he could still see a portion of Draco protruding from the kitchen doorway. With a sigh he pulled out the 'help' card and read the word softly to himself and felt the familiar tug at his navel as he finally left all that he had.

"Goodbye Draco".

* * *

**Author's Note: This was actually inspired by a chapter in a psychology text that talked about the behaviors of physically abused people and their abusers. We were instructed to write a short story involving abuse and to have a few of the characteristics listed in the book in the story. I wrote this, liked it a lot and then realized that I would have to turn it in and explain to my instructor half of the content. So I wrote something else (similar but easier for someone lax in HP knowledge to understand) and decided to post this for you wonderful people! So tell me what you think and if I should make a sequel to this. PLEASE REVIEW! Loves. **

**Disclaimer: ** **This story contains characters, locations, and other random things created and/or owned by J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury Publishing, Scholastic, Inc., etc. Since no money is being made, no infringement is intended. Section 102(b) of the U.S. Copyright Act states that copyright protection does not extend to ideas, procedures, concepts, principles or discoveries, but the actual words used to express those things. **


End file.
